Sunday, October 5, 2008

Chantix ruined my life.

Around memorial day this past spring I decided that I had had enough of Smoking, it was time to quit. I had done my home work read what I could about all the options. Chantix seemed to be the answer to not being able to stop on my own. So I went to the Doctor and asked for a prescription. She asked me if I had ever suffered from depression I had in the past and I told her this she told me that "we needed to watch my moods because it could cause me to be moody". I was told the most common complaint was vivid dreams, not once was suicidal behavior ever mentioned (by the Doctor or any of the article's on the Chantix web site). Over the Three months I used the drug I became increasingly agitated by the smallest thing. I wanted to kill people if they looked at me side way's. My moods would swing from one extreme to the other, happy one second and in a rage the next. At work were had a missing foremen due to a serious illness, two new foremen quit and a another foremen was out for two weeks after hurting his back. This left me and the assistant plant manager to run the entire line.( I worked in a Trailer Factory as a Q.C.) I was not able to be a foreman and had told the General manager this every time I was offered a Foreman position. I knew that I was not capable of handling the pressure under normal circumstances so when the supervision chain fell apart and I was dealing with helping to run the plant while on chantrix I lost my mind. It was more than I could deal with and I fell apart. I would cry all the way to work in the morning knowing that I would have to push and fight with the world to get a home through the line that was up to our standards. I was hiding from people trough out the day while I was trying to stop crying, or calm my self down. At the end of the day I would drive home either in a rage or cry all the way home. At times I had considered going up on the roof and jumping off. I had become so mean to people that no one wanted to be near me. I was good at my job before I decided to quit smoking using Chantix, now I no longer have a job. On august 27th I finally realized that I was in trouble and needed to see a doctor I told the assistant plant manager I was leaving at 2:30 and he offered to have one of the final girls finish up for me I left and was terminated the next morning. I was not able to get any help that day and no longer had insurance the next day. I had never felt so confused and out of control as I had for the three months I had taken Chantix. During the time on it I had began to drink heavily, did not sleep, was not be able to concentrate, unable to make decisions, did not care about my appearance, and was extremely unhappy. I no longer smoke and my life is in shambles, no job, lost my fiance, and depressed beyond belief. I don't know if I will ever be able to get my life back and I am scared, I just want to feel normal again. I have lost all the joy in my life, I am no longer a productive part of society.

4 comments:

IB said...

I have quit smoking using patches or nicotine gum. Of course, neither system is perfect and there were plenty of days when I was moody. But, eventually all of that passed. Surely the rough spots for me were better than what the Chantix did to you. Maybe give it up and try another method after you have a chance to recover from the "medicine" they gave you. Even if you go back to smoking for a while before you embark on another strategy to quit, how much worse could it be than where you are now?

Also, thanks for reading my post and your supportive comments. I really appreciate it! Good luck

http://idiotsstew.blogspot.com

Dawn Marie said...

Thats an awful thing to have gone thru. BUT...your thru it--can you somehow begin to look forward. I know the job market is gloomy but any work would help lift your spirits. Its a shame you didnt have an employer that understood what you were going thru and try to assist you thru it.

Anonymous said...

I know exactly where you're coming from! I too had the same reaction to Chantix only I was on it for a month. I fortunately have kept my job (I don't know how). I'm now on Zoloft and just after the first few days felt a million times better. I'm still working with the doctor to get the right dosage, I'm not sure I'll ever be completely the same again.

Anonymous said...

I know exactly where you're coming from! I too had the same reaction to Chantix only I was on it for a month. I fortunately have kept my job (I don't know how). I'm now on Zoloft and just after the first few days felt a million times better. I'm still working with the doctor to get the right dosage, I'm not sure I'll ever be completely the same again. How are you doing these days? Have you gotten help?